The Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative and many partners joined a packed crowd at 2Life Communities’ Golda Meir House in Newton where Governor Maura Healey signed the Affordable Homes Act into law.
The Affordable Homes Act and related initiatives will support the production, preservation and rehabilitation of more than 65,000 homes statewide over the next five years. It is the largest housing bond bill ever filed in Massachusetts, at more than triple the spending authorizations of the last housing bill passed in 2018.
The historic legislation authorizes $5.16 billion in spending over the next five years along with 49 policy initiatives to counter rising housing costs caused by high demand and limited supply.
In addition to the unprecedented level of spending authorizations, the Affordable Homes Act creates key policy initiatives, including allowing accessory dwelling units under 900 square feet by right on single-family lots. Often referred to as in-law apartments, accessory dwelling units can be attached or detached from a single-family home and often take shape as a basement or attic conversion, a cottage in a backyard or a bump-out addition to a home. This new policy replaces a patchwork of zoning regulations across the state with a uniform law that allows homeowners on single-family lots to add these small units without needing a special permit or variance unless they want to add more than one. Construction of ADUs is still subject to local building codes. The Healey-Driscoll Administration estimates that between 8,000 and 10,000 ADUs will be built across the state over the next five years due to passage of the law.
The law also establishes special commissions on Extremely Low Income Housing, Senior Housing, and Accessible Housing for persons living with disabilities and seniors.
Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative joined several aging services organizations and partners in the age- and dementia friendly community movement to support the legislation, including the specific provisions on ADUs and the commission on senior housing.